So the latest conversation that cnc & I thought about involves Zac being seen leaving Vanessa's house at a relatively early (7AM) hour. She arrived back in LA on a Thursday and it seems that he may have spent the night at her house. Why? Was he sent to her house by someone else who might have been worried about V's well-being? Or did he go of his own accord to check on her? Hmmmm? Here's what our minds conjured up!
Thanks for your reviews, ideas and encouragement! Keep 'em coming! We appreciate you feeding OUR addiction and fueling our obsession ... aka Zanessa. BTW, the Eden scenario is still brewing in my head along with a recent visit to North Carolina for a certain wrap party. :) They sure know how to make Everday scenarios fun and interesting, don't they?
KTZLF! True Love Always Finds Its Way! -adc & cnc
The plane descended into the slight smog that surrounded the Los Angeles International Airport. Vanessa sat in the first class seat with two blankets still covering her body. Her heavy sigh only meant that she was putting together her schedule in her mind.
She would only be home three days. The main reason for being home was the movie photo-shoot that had been added to her schedule for Friday. She hadn't planned on making a cross-country flight so soon and with the winter weather on the east coast she had been forced to fly north to Connecticut before actually being able to head west, toward home.
She sighed again, earning her a glance from the man in the seat next to her. The businessman had been a good match for the long flight. He didn't recognize her and had only made small talk as the plane made its way into the air and then a couple of other times during their airborne experience.
He looked at her brown eyes and sensed her stress beginning to form. "The mental list is eating at you isn't it?"
Vanessa nodded at the man. She hadn't even gotten his name. "Yeah. Guess it's just hitting me that I'm only home for three days and there's a ton of stuff I need to get done. Someday…tell me, does life ever settle down?"
The 40-something year old man looked at her and laughed once. "Well, I'd say that all depends on a number of factors. Do you mean settle down as in…settle down, family, that kind of settle down… or do you mean, settle down, find a job that you enjoy, get used to that job and settle into it? Or maybe a little of both?"
Vanessa's eyes blinked at the man tiredly. "I think…that you've given me far too many choices to think about." She smiled at him and he smiled back. "So, thank you… I'm sorry, what was your name?"
"Oh, good catch, I'm Dave," he answered as he held out his hand.
Vanessa took his hand and shook it firmly and friendly. "Thank you Dave, for adding life choices A, B, and C to my list of things to think about."
"Well, perhaps you can think about that as you head back to the east coast on Sunday. The long flight should be plenty of time to make that decision." Dave noticed the final deep breath and sigh that Vanessa released.
"Vanessa, by the way," she offered.
"Good luck with your weekend," Dave told her as they began to get ready to exit the plane.
"Thanks." Vanessa pressed her lips together and smiled at him. "Good luck to you as well."
Dave just smiled and nodded at his seat mate, watching her pull out her phone and put the ear buds in place before grabbing both of her carry-on bags to head into the busy airport.
KTZLF*TRUELOVEALWAYSFINDSITSWAY
Vanessa stepped into the breezeway and hit the number of the person she knew was expecting her call. The phone only rang twice before the familiar voice picked up.
"Are you back in California?" Gina Hudgens wondered before even saying 'hello' to her oldest daughter.
"Yes, finally. The detour through Connecticut was miserable though. I don't need reminding why I don't prefer to be in the northeast during the winter months," Vanessa grumbled across the phone line.
"Do you have a car meeting you there or is Zac picking you up?" Gina asked. She knew Vanessa had told her not to worry about the airport pick-up because it was 'arranged'.
"Zac's busy. Charles is supposed to be here. I texted him with the new flight number and e.t.a. before we flew out of Hartford," Vanessa explained.
"Zac's busy?" Gina scrunched her eyebrows together in thought. The young man had called her at least four times that morning as he watched Vanessa's various flight changes happen through the internet website. "Did you talk to him this morning?"
Vanessa kept walking as she adjusted the volume of her phone and pulled her bags further up on her shoulders.
"Uh-uh. We talked last night. He said he had meetings all morning and into the afternoon. Just told me to call him after I rested some and he would come over if it wasn't too late." Vanessa slowed her pace as she headed toward the baggage claim. No reason to get overly winded when she wasn't in a hurry.
Her mother caught onto three words that Vanessa claimed Zac had told her. 'Rested' and 'too late' played through Gina's mind as she inadvertently spoke out loud. "You'd better be 'rested' before he gets there. No such thing as 'too late' in his book."
"I'm sorry?" Vanessa couldn't understand a word her mother had mumbled.
Gina quickly realized what she had said and attempted to cover her tracks. "So you're heading home to rest a bit before tomorrow's photo shoot? Is there anything else on the agenda while you're home?"
Vanessa nodded her head as she walked. "Well I'm heading home but I'm gonna head right back out and over to the agency. Evan left a text saying there's a change with the Beastly premiere and something I need to sign and God knows what else going on. I'll probably end up being over there all afternoon once things get started." She let out a short puff of air and then sucked in a long breath.
"Vanessa, Sweetheart, why don't you call and see if you could do that tomorrow morning maybe. You don't need to go over there right away, you just got off a plane and have been filming all week. I know you had a couple of late days. Why don't you let me meet you at the house and I'll fix you some dinner and you can go on to bed?"
Vanessa rolled her eyes but said nothing knowing her mother was just being the concerned parent.
"Mom, no, it's fine really. Evan wouldn't have left the message if I didn't need to take care of this stuff right away. I promise I'll try to get out of there as soon as possible."
"Well why don't you at least call Zac to go down there with you? He'll make sure they don't drag you into stuff that doesn't matter," Gina suggested.
"Mother…" the eyes rolled again on the 22 year old. "Did you not hear what I just said? Zac is busy…"
"Just call him, Sweetie, please?" Gina interrupted.
"No, Mom. He has got to take care of his business and I'll take care of mine. Listen, I am not that tired. I rested on the flight. I sat next to a nice man who gave me his blanket and didn't bother me at all while I slept." Vanessa realized too late that she may have mentioned the wrong thing about her flight.
"A nice man?" Gina's eyebrows raised. "How nice of a man? How old was this man? Did he recognize you? You weren't leaning against him to go to sleep were you?"
"Mother!" Vanessa drew a few eyes as she raised her voice a bit more than she wanted to. "He could've been my father; he had no clue who I was, and I leaned against the window thank you very much."
"Then you really didn't sleep that much at all did you?" Gina surmised.
"Mom, I'm hanging up now. I've gotta get my other bag and find Charles. I will talk to you later tonight or tomorrow sometime and I'll see you for brunch on Sunday." Vanessa made her point pretty clearly.
"Fine," Gina sighed. "I'm glad you're home safely, My Baby. I'll talk to you later. Love you."
"Love you too, Mom." Vanessa ended the call and saw her favorite limo driver approaching.
"Mrs. E.," The gentleman called out to her quietly once he was close enough to give her a hug. "How's the east coast?"
Vanessa pulled out of the hug and snarled at him. "They can keep the snow and ice. Send me back to Hawaii anytime." She growled slightly and watched as Charles chuckled at her.
"Hey, no laughing at your fare-paying customer here," she told him, giving him an exaggerated pout.
Charles worked obviously to hide the smile on his lips. "Where's your other luggage?" he questioned, turning his eyes toward the conveyor belt that began to squeak and turn.
"Well there's only one," she told him and then pointed with a smile. "And there it is." She gave out a sigh of relief as Charles stepped toward the carousel and grabbed the heavier suitcase. It was good to be home.
As the two headed out the door Charles looked down at Vanessa and asked the question that always preceded the drive home. "Your place or Mr. E.'s?"
"Mine," Vanessa practically grunted as Charles opened the trunk of the limo and let her drop her carry-on bags inside. She opened one of them and grabbed her planner along with her iPhone and made her way around to the back door of the vehicle.
"You sure? Is he coming over to make sure you get settled in?" Charles asked completely innocently although both knew it was a loaded question. The older man had been around the couple far too often to know they needed to be near each other as much as possible.
"Not tonight. I've got to head down to the agency after I get home and get cleaned up a bit. He's got meetings all day. I'm sure we'll catch up tomorrow at some point." Vanessa told Charles as she climbed into the back seat and let her body sprawl out in comfort.
"Thought he said you needed to rest and that's why he wasn't coming to the airport to meet you," Charles attempted to whisper under his breath as he closed the door.
Vanessa raised her head and waited until Charles slipped into the driver's seat. "Sorry, Charles, did you say something as you closed the door?"
Charles immediately pulled out his cell phone and began typing a note. "What? Um, oh, no, I didn't say anything."
Vanessa creased her eyebrows together and leaned her head back against the padded leather seat. Half an hour, she'd be home. She thought she heard the clicking of phone keys in the front seat but didn't think twice about it. "Hey Charles, can we take the long way home please? This'll be my power nap time."
"Mmm-hmmm, sure." Charles answered with less interest than usual as he finished his text message. "She says she's going to the agency soon after getting home. Do you want me to stick around and drive her?"
"You ok up there?" Vanessa grinned, still a bit curious as to his sudden disinterest in what she was saying.
"What?" Charles perked up again after hitting the 'send' key. "Oh, yeah…yes ma'am, I'm fine. Hey, do you want me to just wait for you to get changed? I can drive you down to your meeting."
Vanessa disregarded his momentary mood swing with a sigh and a tired answer. "Thanks, no. I'll just drive myself. I haven't had a lot of time to drive my new car. Gotta take every chance I can get before Zac suggests I get another Audi." She shook her head in protest.
The two laughed together for a moment before Charles turned on the soft music and piped it through to the back compartment of the car. He left the privacy shield down just in case she needed anything but pulled away from the airport and headed toward the freeway.
He waited until they were stopped in traffic to look at the response he had received almost immediately on his phone. The phrases were simple but exactly what he expected. "I'll be there before you get there. Like hell she's going anywhere else tonight."
Charles smiled to himself and glanced in the rearview mirror. The young woman sleeping in the back seat was like his own daughter. He would've been very disappointed if her boyfriend had answered in any other way.
KTZLF*TRUELOVEALWAYSFINDSITSWAY
After checking Vanessa's flight status online for the fifth time that morning and noticing that it had just landed, Zac shut down his laptop, grabbed his keys and checked his back pocket for his wallet. He had just hit the button inside the house to open the garage door and was climbing into the Audi when the phone buzzed in his pocket.
The plane landed, she's probably getting off now and heading to meet Chuck… he thought to himself, expecting it to be a text from Vanessa telling him that she'd made it back to the West Coast. He was slightly surprised when the ring tone sounded after the two buzzes. He peeked at the caller id before answering and smirked slightly.
"What's up Mama G.?" he answered.
"Where are you?" Vanessa's mother began a little more accusingly than she wanted to.
"Getting in my car, why?" Zac stated with his eyebrows furrowed in confusion and tugged on the door handle.
"But where? I thought you were home," Gina continued with the slightly harsh tone.
"Yeesss…" Zac let slide. "I am at home. Actually I was getting in the car to head your way. Why?" he asked again.
"I just talked to Nessa and she said you were at meetings all day. She's planning to get home and then turn around and go down to the agency to meet Evan," Gina explained.
"Well, that's not part of the plan," Zac said as he sat down in the driver's seat, slid his key in the ignition and started the engine.
"Whose plan?" Gina pressed. "Why did you tell her you had meetings today?"
Zac held the phone against his ear and glanced in the rear-view mirror. Vanessa's mother wasn't actually a person that he wanted to admit this too but there was a good reason that he had told the little white lie to her daughter.
"I thought…if she thought I was busy…that she would go home and sleep. And that's what she said she wanted to do. I know how tired she typically is after a long flight. I figured if she thought I was home she would come over here instead or work on fixing dinner for us at her house or something. But if I was nowhere close then she would just stay there and rest. Damn it." He sighed as he realized his much thought out plan was unraveling slightly.
"So, plan B? Do you want me to go over there?" Gina offered.
"No, no. Actually, once I saw online that her plane had landed, I thought I would come grab the Rat from your place and bring her back here with me for a couple of hours. Then once I figured Van was asleep I was gonna take Shadow, go over there and fix dinner for her. But now I guess I'll still come by and get her beloved pet and then I'll just head on over there," he speculated.
"Make her rest, Zac. I don't need a call from across the country that she's passed out from exhaustion," Gina answered in her stern - yet loving - tone.
"Believe me, Mama G, I know exactly what you're saying. I'll do my best to keep that from happening. You know that." She knew Zac's answer was completely truthful. He loved her daughter, too, and would make sure she rested - even if just a little - while she was home for the quick stay.
"You do whatever it takes to keep her home then, hear me?" The motherly instruction caused Zac to smile. He hid the slight laugh – or thought he did. "I heard that…and I know why you're laughing…and I meant what I said. Whatever it takes."
With an even wider grin on his face, Zac began to back out of the garage. "Yes Ma'am. I hear you loud and clear. And, I'll see you in about ten minutes."
The two ended their conversation and Zac hung up his phone as he made the loop quickly and clicked the second button on the garage door opener to open the gate. Several questions began to form in his mind as he headed toward Mulholland. Did Vanessa really think he had business meetings today? And did she really think she was going to her own meeting? What was Evan thinking about, telling her she needed to come to the office this afternoon? That irked Zac more than Vanessa's decision not to rest.
At the bottom of the hill he stopped for the yellow light when he felt his phone buzzing again in his pocket. Glancing down at the screen and seeing the name, he became a bit confused once more. A text from the limo driver was odd, but he figured maybe it was a warning that Vanessa wanted to come to Zac's house instead of her own. Maybe Gina was wrong.
He glanced up to make sure the light was still red before opening the message. It was pretty simple and confirmed what Gina had told him. Zac looked at his watch. He only needed 15 minutes to pick up Shadow and get to Vanessa's house. He sighed as he quickly typed back the message. It ended with a line that he knew Chuck wouldn't share with his girlfriend, but it got his point across.
"Like hell she's going anywhere else tonight."
He pulled into the driveway of the Hudgens' home and made one other quick call.
"Evan, it's Zac… What?… Yeah, Vanessa's Zac. What is so hell-fire important that she needs to sign it or talk to you at the agency this afternoon?"
He kept his voice under control as he listened to Vanessa's rep explain that he had papers for her to sign and a revamped schedule for her next movie premiere. If they could take care of it this weekend he wouldn't have to worry about mailing things to her over the next week. But, Evan made sure to emphasize, it didn't have to happen today.
"I know how wiped out she can be when she's been traveling. It can wait until tomorrow," he offered to Zac.
"Glad to hear you say that." Zac calmed a bit more. "I'll give you a call when she's had a chance to rest and maybe you can come by, or she'll come by before the photo shoot tomorrow. Don't let her try and convince you otherwise."
The two came to an understanding and ended their conversation making Zac smile inwardly. Vanessa would kill him if she knew he was sticking his nose into her business. It was a pact the two had made two years ago. They would handle their own business happenings unless one came to the other for their opinion. So far, it had worked beautifully. But Gina had told him to do whatever he needed to. Besides, this wasn't exactly a business decision…it was more like a health concern. Yeah…hedecided quickly…a health concern.
He opened the car door and grabbed the leash that he had tossed into the passenger seat. He climbed from the car and made his way to the door, ringing the bell before turning the knob and letting himself in. He pinched the tip of his nose slightly as he saw Vanessa's mother appear in the entryway of the kitchen.
"I've got Mama G's permission," he thought to himself. "And it's for her own good. I don't have to explain myself."
He stuck his chin out knowing Vanessa wouldn't accept either of those answers. That meant he had about 20 more minutes to come up with a better one. He shared a knowing look with Gina and opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it when he heard the pitter patter of tiny puppy claws on the linoleum covered floor. He looked down and saw Shadow standing at his feet, looking up at him expectantly with her big black eyes.
"It's like she knows," Gina commented jokingly.
"I swear, Rat, you've got a weird sixth sense about some things."
Shadow stood on her back legs and put her front paws on his shin, showing him that she somehow understood what he was saying to her. Zac shook his head at his girlfriend's dog.
"Mommy's on her way home. You ready to go?" he asked as he leaned down to pet her between the ears. Shadow tugged on the leash that he held in his hands until he let go of it and immediately walked to the front door and sat down, waiting patiently for her "Daddy" to come and lead her to the car. Gina and Zac watched the dog's diva-esque personality come out and shared a look.
"I can't believe she actually answers to that name for you," Gina told Zac with a shake of her head. "If we call her anything besides Shadow or Baby, she turns her nose up at us. Sometimes we even earn a growl from her."
Zac rolled his eyes and grinned at Gina. "If she wants to sleep in the bed while I'm around she'll answer to whatever I call her." He looked back in the direction of the door. "Right, Rat?"
Shadow picked the leash back up off the floor and walked back in the direction of the two humans. She purposefully put the leash back down on the floor at Zac's feet and looked up at him impatiently before letting out a small bark. Zac looked down at her and Gina laughed.
"Good one Shadow. Now we know the leash should be around his neck! Show him who's really in charge, Baby Girl," Vanessa's mother said.
Zac leaned down and picked the pup up off the floor, letting her give him loving licks along his jaw line. "Oh, she knows who's in charge. Don't you, Rat?" Zac said, receiving another bark in response. "See?" he said to Gina.
"I meant what I told you a few minutes ago, Zac. Make her rest," Gina commanded.
"I know, Mama G. I know. I'll take care of her," he said in reassurance.
"I know you will," she told him. "I just can't help but worry."
"That's what you ladies do best. Have you been talking to my mom lately?" he joked. He took note of Gina's stern look and was quick to put her mind at ease. "I promise. Trust me, okay?" He leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek and she wrapped her arms around him, giving him a hug. He returned it the best he could while still holding Shadow in his arms. "We'll give you a call in the morning," he told her as he turned and started walking towards the door.
"Take care of yourself, too. You hear me?" she called after him.
"Yes, Ma'am," he called over his shoulder as he walked out the door, leaving Gina to shake her head and let out a sigh. When was it that she had turned her daughter's well being over to the hands of that 23 year old young man? She tilted her head to think about it. It had worked for the past five years. All she could do now was wait until the next day to see if it was still a wise decision.
KTZLF*TRUELOVEALWAYSFINDSITSWAY
When Charles pulled the sleek black car onto Vanessa's street he slowly came to a stop as he approached a stop sign, turned to look over his shoulder and gently called out her name.
"Mrs. E.?" When he got no response, he tried again a little louder. "Mrs. E." Seeing that the sound of his voice caused Vanessa to finally stir, and hearing a soft "Hmmm?" from the back seat, he continued.
"Miss Hudgens, we're almost there."
As she released a long breath, Vanessa slowly opened her eyes and saw the houses of her neighbors as the duo drove past. She began to gather the few items that sat on the seat next to her, making sure she had her door-key available, and waited as Charles pulled the car to a stop in front of the huge mansion. She turned her head to look at her house and allowed Charles to open the door for her. She took his offered hand, climbing out of the car. As Charles got her bags out of the trunk, she raised her arms over her head and gave her body a full stretch before taking one of the bags and starting the climb toward home.
The two walked up the many steps to her front door, sharing comfortable conversation along the way. Vanessa asked Charles about his wife and children, and Charles shared with her that his oldest daughter - a junior in high school - had just auditioned for the school play. By the time they reached the door, Vanessa saw her beloved Shadow through the window as the pup ran up to the door to greet her "mom".
"What in the world?" Vanessa wondered out loud.
"What's that?" Charles questioned.
"I'm just trying to figure out why Shadow is here. Stella usually has her while I'm gone and I know school's not out yet, so Stellz shouldn't be here."
She proceeded to open the door and the two walked in, Vanessa leaning down to pick up an excited Shadow.
"Hey, Baby Girl. What's going on? Who brought you home?" she asked, as Shadow soaked her face with puppy kisses. "I know, I know, I missed you too!" Vanessa scrunched her nose and pulled the dog away from her face.
"I hope you don't expect me to kiss you after she slobbered all over you."
Vanessa turned her attention to the stairs and watched as Zac descended the wooden steps.
"What are you doing here? I thought you had meetings all day?" her heart nearly skipped a beat as she greeted him.
"I missed you, too," he picked on her as he leaned down to give her a kiss on the lips. The two held their intimate connection until the older gentleman cleared his throat. Zac shot a half grin in his direction. "Hey, Chuck."
"Mr. E.," Charles responded with a wink and a smile as he shook Zac's hand with a firm handshake. "Get her to bed," he said with a subtle nod in Vanessa's direction.
"I plan on it," Zac said as he took Vanessa's larger suitcase from the driver.
"Excuse me…" Vanessa looked at the two men. "Am I not in the room?"
"To sleep," Charles emphasized, seemingly ignoring Vanessa's voice.
"Hello? Still here!" Vanessa waved her hands in the air to alert the two men of her presence.
"What's that you said? You've got to go? Another run? You'd better hurry; you don't want to be late," Zac teased the driver with a grin as Vanessa blushed.
Vanessa smacked Zac's arm to get his attention and pointed a finger at the older gentleman. "You knew he would be here didn't you? Uh!" she huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You texted him when we got in the car! I knew you were doing something with your phone because you weren't listening to me." Her eyes widened as she put the puzzle pieces together.
"You're very observant. Guess I'll just have to be a little more patient next time and wait to call until you've fallen asleep," Charles commented with a devious smile.
"Thank you for the ride, Charles. We'll see you soon," Vanessa told him in a pointed tone, before dropping her voice back to its polite normalcy. "Tell Olivia good luck with the play. Let us know when it is. If we're able to work it out, we'd love to come and see her."
"I'll pass the message along," Charles told her as he gave her a hug. "You get some rest."
"I will - after my meetings. Thanks again." Vanessa opened the door and watched for a moment as the limo driver headed down the front steps.
Once Charles was gone, she turned to face Zac.
"Okay, spill it."
"Spill what? Shadow's water? I don't have to, she already did that not long after we got here."
"Spill about why you're here. I mean, not that I mind because frankly I'm glad you're here, but why? What happened to all your meetings? I thought we said we'd just see each other later tonight."
"I may have fibbed a little with the hope that you were going to come home and rest. Since that's apparently not on your agenda at the moment, I'm here to change your mind." He stepped back toward the staircase and held his hand out inviting her to go ahead of him to the second floor."You're not going to your meetings, by the way."
Vanessa stood still as she watched and listened to him. "What do you mean 'not going to my meetings'? Zac, I have to. Evan said he's got to go over everything regarding Beastly with me." Vanessa leaned down to set a squirming Shadow on the floor.
"Evan's coming by here. I talked to him myself earlier."
"Interfering with my business life? Not a good re-start, Efron."
"Not interfering. Just making sure you get some rest," he told her as he stepped back toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder blade pushing her gently. "It's actually more of a health concern than a business issue anyway." He added.
She resisted his urging and turned to look at him. "First you mess with my appointment and now you think you can just push me up to the bedroom? You're really making a bad impression this time around."
Zac moved his hand from her back and held both hands in the air, surrendering. "You won't rest down here. Between the mail, Shadow jumping all over you, messages to check and just being home in general…you know you won't rest. Just admit it."
Vanessa sighed. "Mom called you didn't she?"
"She did, but she didn't have to. I was on my way over there to pick up the Rat when you called her from the airport." He brought his fingers to his neck to perform the nervous habit that Vanessa was so familiar with. "But you were right…Chuck did text me as you guys were leaving the airport."
"So this is a conspiracy then. Don't guess I can argue too much, can I?" she asked, as she walked into his open arms and allowed him to envelope her.
"Nope," he said as he placed a kiss to the top of her head. "I'll take care of your bags. Why don't you head upstairs; I'll help you get settled in and then you can rest."
"Sure you will." Vanessa smiled against his chest and then stretched up to kiss his chin.
"Ah-ah," his voice took a slightly more serious tone. "You will rest for a while and I will make sure of it. No hanky-panky until after your nap time." He sucked in a breath and mumbled to himself, "No matter how much my body fights to tell me otherwise."
"What was that last part?" Vanessa questioned as she stepped onto the first stair. "You and Mom and Charles have all been mumbling stuff. You need to stop that."
"I said," Zac followed her with her suitcase in tow and gestured with his head for her to move on up the steps, "Evan said to call him whenever you are up and moving again. He can come by later after he leaves the office, or he can come by here tomorrow morning sometime. If he comes by tonight we'll get some take-out or something. Whatever you want to do."
He watched as Vanessa climbed the stairs and entered their bedroom, practically letting her body fall onto the bed. Watching her tired features gave Zac an idea and caused a mischievous smile to form on his face. He looked toward the closet and then back at Vanessa. Oh, yeah… he remembered to keep his mouth shut and not comment out loud, this time… I'll take care of your bags alright.
KTZLF*TRUELOVEALWAYSFINDSITSWAY
Zac tucked her suitcase into the closet just to get it out of the way and then crawled up beside her on the bed. He bent his knees and wrapped his arms around them as he sat and just looked at her for a moment.
"Hey Beautiful," he started softly. "Your bath is getting cold in there you know."
"My what?" Vanessa opened her eyes and looked toward his voice. She rolled onto her side and tilted her head with a curious look.
"Your bubble bath. I cut the water off just as you came in the door. I'd say it's probably cooled down enough for you to get in and relax for a little bit. What d'ya say?" Zac slid off the bed and held his hands out toward her.
"I'd say that sounds absolutely wonderful." She smiled and sat up for just a second before scooting her legs over to the edge of the bed.
Zac took one of her hands and gently pulled her up from the mattress then led her into the spacious bathroom. The Jacuzzi tub was filled with bubbles sending the vanilla aroma throughout the tiled room. They could see just a little bit of steam still rising from the tub so Vanessa stepped closer to try and dip her hand into the water.
"Wait, I'll check that." Zac quickly pulled her just a step backwards.
"Okay…" she bit her bottom lip and watched as he lifted a few of the bubbles out with his forearm as he tested the temperature.
"Ooo, no, that's just about right I'd say." He looked at her and smiled.
Vanessa shifted her weight onto her right foot and began to pull off the boots that she had yet to remove.
"No you don't." Zac stopped her with a smile. "Here, let me." He looked into her eyes with determination as he moved within inches of her body. "You relax and I'll get you all set for a nice, hot, muscle-soothing bath."
She looked at him and chuckled just under her breath. When he reached for the hem of her thin, long-sleeved t-shirt she lowered her eyebrows just a touch but kept the smile on her face.
"What exactly are you planning on doing?" she questioned his intent.
"If you'll let me, I'm just going to get you undressed so you can get into the tub," he informed her.
"Really?" She asked with a little shake of her head and one raised eyebrow.
"Arms up," Zac instructed and began to pull her shirt upwards over the tanned skin of her belly.
Vanessa protested for just a second before becoming a two-year old again and raising her arms over her head in order for him to remove her shirt. She noticed immediately that he didn't make any move to kiss her shoulder, her stomach, her breast, her face, or any other part of her body.
Zac then pointed at the chair sitting in front of the small vanity. He turned it around in order for her to sit down and then proceeded to lift her left leg and tug on the boot until he felt the slight bit of suction release. He sat the first leather item off to the side and gently placed her foot back on the floor as he repeated the action with her right boot.
She couldn't help but smile softly the entire time he was working with her lower extremities. She sat pretty much helpless with just her bra covering part of her upper body. He was working gently to rid her of the leg warmers that had become far too hot the minute he had ordered her up the stairs.
And just as she felt the coolness at the loss of that clothing Zac reached for the button on her jeans.
"Do you want me to stand up?" she asked a bit nervously. Her body was reacting the way it normally did when he undressed her. Even through the aching muscles and the need for sleep she could already feel particular parts of her anatomy coming alive at his touch. Still she noted mentally that he hadn't made any sexual move whatsoever. That thought just drove her loving cravings even further.
Zac nodded at her and helped her stand as he tugged the zipper on the tight jeans and then began to peel them down over the tight muscles of her thighs. He noticed a small quiver as his fingers touched her smooth legs. "Sorry," he tore his eyes from her legs and looked up to catch her watching him.
"Why?" she asked somewhat cautiously.
Zac took in a slow breath. "This is supposed to be to help you, not for me." He admitted and pulled the blue jean material down over her calves.
Vanessa reached down and grasped his shoulders as she lifted each foot to help him remove her pants. "You mean I don't get to undress you once you're done with me?" her breath hitched slightly as Zac tried to inconspicuously move his hands up to the skimpy waistline of her panties.
"Not this time, my dear. I told you. No fooling around until after you've had a nice nap." At that point Zac realized looking toward her face was a desperate mistake. "Do not pout at me about this."
"You didn't say fooling around. You said no 'hanky-panky'." She jutted her bottom lip out as he rolled his eyes.
"I think they're the same thing." Zac held his breath as he cautiously hooked his fingers into her underwear and began to roll them off her buttocks. He really was trying to make as little contact as possible because of the similar signals his own body was giving him. If she came up with a good enough excuse he knew his plan would probably be thrown out the window or down the drain.
"No they aren't." She pressed her lips together and pulled a breath through her nose, closing her eyes with the sensual touch he was inadvertently providing. "Hanky-panky would be us actually making love, possibly right here in the tub." She looked down at him kneeling in front of her practically naked body with his face so close to her most sensitive, intimate area which he had just stripped of its clothing. She swallowed to wet her dry throat as she stepped out of the soft, silky undergarment.
"Zac." He looked up at her with blue eyes nearly burning.
"Turn around," he ordered softly as he reached up to her waist, twisting her skin gently to make her move her body.
She felt him stand behind her and place his hands on her shoulders, his fingers fiddling with the narrow bra straps that lingered on her shoulders.
"Fooling around is what we do all the time, touching, kissing…" she continued the thought placing one of her hands over one of his on her shoulder and turned her neck to look up into his face. "…touching, kissing…" Zac allowed her to pull his hand down toward her lips and watched as she placed a simple kiss on his palm. She then leaned her cheek into his hand and licked the tip of his pinky with her tongue.
"Ok, and maybe a little bit of licking and tickling and touching and kissing," she finished quietly as Zac smiled.
"And these days," he retracted his hand slowly and began working to unlatch the two hooks and eyes on the back of her bra, "the fooling around usually leads to hanky-panky. Especially when I haven't been able to touch you for a week or more."
"See, you do understand what I'm saying." She turned to face him once more after he removed the slick covering from her breasts. "I need the hanky-panky or at least some fooling around before I can even think about relaxing or sleep or meetings or anything."
"Mmm-hmmm." Zac allowed her to wrap her arms around his neck and circled his own arms around her bare waist. Her naked waist…meaning that his hands fell naturally onto her naked hips making him pull her closer to his not so naked, but obviously energized, penis.
"Go ahead," she pressed herself a bit tighter against him and pulled teasingly at the short hairs on the base of his neck. "Tell me my Baby Boo doesn't want to join me for this nice, hot, soothing, bath. You know how well we fit in this tub together. And you know how well we can fool around in this tub together. Remember?"
"Nessa," Zac's voice was getting close to that dangerously low point when he usually relinquished whatever control he had.
"Hmmm?" She tiptoed up to brush her lips against his, letting her breasts press against his chest.
"Get in the tub before it gets cold. I'm gonna wash your back, and I'll wash your hair and then you're just gonna relax in here while I make sure Shadow is content, turn down the bed and get a towel for you."
"But…" she ran her fingers under his t-shirt and slowly moved them over his warm chest until he grasped her wrists and urged her toward the extra large tub.
"No buts…except for yours, in the tub, now." He grasped her waist as she raised one leg over the side of the tub and gently stuck her toes into the water. Once she was in, seated and covered with the sweet smelling bubbles, Zac smiled.
"See, now doesn't that feel just heavenly?" he teased.
"It would feel even better if I had your body behind me so I could snuggle up to you. I could probably fall asleep right here…" she let her body begin to slide beneath the water. "Ooo, did you see that? I could drown in here if you leave me alone. I could fall asleep and slide under the water and then what? If you aren't in here with me…"
"Vanessa, stop," Zac attempted before she pulled her ultimate will-breaker out of her mental bag of tricks.
"Pretty please, Boo?" she allowed the tears to well up in her eyes almost too naturally. When she reached for his hand and their eyes met, she continued by pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. "I love you and I've missed you. I really just want to spend every second I can with you. Please?"
The tears never escaped her eyes miraculously. Instead, she saw his resolve melt and knew she had won when he pulled the t-shirt over his head. Before showing her even an inch of anything that lay below his jeans Zac pointed a finger at her and sighed. "I'm only gonna say this one time so listen closely. No hanky-panky until you get some sleep. The fooling around will be at my discretion. Got it?"
She nodded and quickly replaced the sad face with that of a content young woman who was getting her way from the man she loved.
"Lean up, Hot Stuff," he instructed as he began to maneuver his nakedness into the water behind her. "Dear God, that feels amazing," he mumbled as the warm water covered his thighs. His hardness slid into the perfect comfortable position as Vanessa scooted back against him. She pulled his arms around her and wove their hands together over her belly button.
"What'd I tell you about mumbling?" she mentioned as she let her body relax against his.
Zac bent his neck forward just enough to place a kiss under her ear and then nibbled her earlobe. "I said," he let his breath tickle her ear before continuing, "you are way too persuasive for your own good. And, you were right, you do feel a lot better snuggled up against me in here."
"Thought so," she agreed as she closed her eyes and let the ideas of fooling around drift to the opposite side of the tub.
KTZLF*TRUELOVEALWAYSFINDSITSWAY
Zac trailed his fingers behind the drops of water that he had just sprinkled over Vanessa's shoulder. She sat, completely content and almost asleep, with her head resting against his sternum and arms and hands relaxed under the water on his thighs and knees.
She had stopped making the light, satisfied moaning noises just a few minutes after he had gently washed her back and allowed her to lean against him completely. She had tried, unsuccessfully, to tuck her hand behind her waist in order to give him a little added incentive to stay in the tub with her. Instead he had caught her fingers just in time and promised her that he would stay put if she would just relax. So she had.
Now as he kissed her mass of tropical scented hair on the top of her head he reached into the water and pulled her right hand out. Vanessa barely noticed that he was moving a part of her body, but she smiled when he began to softly kiss her fingertips.
"Hey, Island Princess," Zac whispered toward her cheek, "it's about time to get out of the water. You're pruning."
Vanessa breathed in deeply but didn't give him any other reaction. So they sat for another minute with him caressing her hand and arm. "Nessa, Baby." He prodded.
"Don't wanna get out," she sighed, making him smile. "I'm perfectly happy to take my nap right here. I'm warm and comfy."
Zac moved his hips slightly, adjusting his body to try and make her feel less comfortable. He felt his penis now back at its un-excited level and pushed the thought of tub foreplay from his mind.
"Well Beautiful, I hate to tell you this, but my external thermometer has gone down. That means the water is getting colder and if you have any hopes of the…uh…mercury rising again tonight…then we need to get out before there's significant shrinkage." His words were only partially joking.
Vanessa stretched her neck as she thought and then she scooted her hips backwards until she pressed up against Zac's naked groin completely. "I really am comfy in here," she commented quietly as her lips met the soft skin on his neck. "But I have to admit, I don't wanna break your thermometer." She grinned as he looked down at her with a roll of his eyes. "I much prefer his temperature to be up. I think it's easier for both of us to be satisfied when the mercury rises."
Zac placed his thumb and index finger on her jawbone and pulled her face toward him. He leaned down and placed a teasing, succulent kiss on her lips. Their mouths were molded together until Zac felt the hum of a wanting moan escaping through her lips.
He pulled back just enough for their eyelashes to flutter against each other as their eyes opened and met. "There. Now we've fooled around. Happy?" he asked as his lips twisted upwards slightly.
Vanessa licked her lips and again pressed her moist skin up against his flaccid length. "Not unless that means you're going to really let me get my hands on you and get started with the hanky-panky." She pouted slightly when he shook his head, and then pressed her lips together to try and hide the yawn that followed.
"Oh no you don't." Zac pushed her forward slightly and reached around her to begin letting the cooler water out of the bathtub. "I'm not going to let you get me all worked up and then fall asleep before you can finish the job."
Vanessa's mouth dropped open but before she could actually protest Zac kissed her cheek and began forcing his body up and out of the tub.
"Stay put," he ordered her in his loving way. Vanessa leaned back against the cool porcelain and watched him dry his body just enough to put his underwear on. He glanced into the tub then back at Vanessa when he was satisfied that the water hadn't dropped too far. "I've gotta get a couple of things together in the bedroom. I'll be right back. Don't. Get. Out."
Vanessa relaxed her shoulders and smiled at him. "Ok." She whined slightly and watched as he walked out the door. Her eyes closed instinctively, but it was more of a reaction to keep his image in her mind, than one of sleepiness – although that was a part of it.
She heard him putting something on the bedside table and then his voice speaking to Shadow.
"Alright, Rat. Your time on the bed is up. It's Mommy and Daddy's turn," he informed the little dog.
Vanessa smiled. She would never let him get away with calling her dog a rat. Problem was, Shadow answered to it, took to it, and seemed to love it, as long as the word came from Zac's mouth only…no one else's.
She heard the bedroom door open and close along with the small 'yip' that followed the "I told you…" line from the animal's fatherly figure.
When Zac returned to the bathroom he pulled open the closet door and let out a laugh when he unfurled the oversized bath towel and turned around to face Vanessa. "Are you serious? Where did this come from?" he asked as he held up the towel bearing their faces and the words "You are the music in me…" on a green background.
Vanessa grinned. "A fan in Wilmington gave it to me. I couldn't say 'no'. Not to mention it means I can have you wrapped around me whenever I want now." She cocked her eyebrows in his direction making them both laugh.
"Alright, out of the tub." Zac stepped closer to the side and offered her his hands to help her out of the water before opening the towel and wrapping it around her.
"What now?" she asked and stood still for just a second before Zac scooped her up slowly and headed for the bedroom.
"Candles?" she asked shyly as she noticed that he had decorated the room with a few Jasmine Vanilla fragranced candles and had bottles of the same scented massage oil and lotion on the bedside table. "You weren't intending on going to meetings at all today were you?"
Zac kissed her forehead and let his lips glide around her hairline. "Well I wasn't intending to use this stuff until tonight or tomorrow. But since you didn't stick to your plan then I don't have to stick to mine either." He breathed in, letting her freshly bathed scent fill his senses.
Vanessa tilted her head to the side letting him move his lips down to her neck. She wondered if he truly knew how much she enjoyed his touch and even the simplest of his kisses.
She took the opportunity, as they stepped closer to the bed, to use just her index finger on his jaw to urge his mouth back to hers.
He allowed her to kiss his lips several times as he stood cradling her beside the bed. Finally he put her down gingerly on the carpet beside the mattress and held her shoulders tightly to savor the kiss they were sharing.
"Did I mention that I love you?" Vanessa asked breathlessly between their lip-locks.
"You may have." Zac pressed their lips together again and weaved his hands through her wet hair. "And I love you. Which is why…" Zac pulled back and pressed his lips together before pointing toward the pillows at the head of the bed. "Lay down on your tummy. Put the towel under you so you don't get the sheets all wet."
Vanessa let him help her unwrap the terrycloth from around her body and then stood completely nude, again, watching as he placed it length-wise on the bed. She took a closer look at the bottle of sensual lotion and oil on the bedside table and grinned back at her boyfriend before following his instructions and climbing onto the bed. "I get a Zac massage?" she asked eagerly.
"Yeesss," he informed her with a slightly playful answer. He watched her intently as she moved to make sure her breasts were in a comfortable position before letting the rest of her body relax in its place.
Her eyes widened and she licked her lips in anticipation. "Is it a naked Zac massage?" she asked hopefully.
"Enough questions already. Just lay down so I can get to work, would you?" he huffed in jest.
Vanessa crossed her arms on one of the pillows and laid her right cheek down as she waited to find out what he had planned. Zac looked at her body lying in front of him and willed himself to stay calm. He loved every inch of her skin. He loved making love with her and being joined to her body. And he loved that she trusted him enough to do what he said. That made him feel responsible for her, protective of her, and above all it made her his.
He wanted to be the one who could help her relax and the only one who would use these measures to convince her to change her plans. For five years he had strived to find the perfect way to catch and keep her attention and her love. And knowing that he had it, Zac knew he didn't want to let it go…no matter what he had to do.
For that reason alone he climbed easily onto her thighs and ran his hands smoothly over her back. "You go to sleep for a while, Baby. Then, when you wake up, if you want a naked Zac massage…I'm all yours. Whatever you want."
The first massage he would provide was one to show his pure love for her and every inch of her body. He wanted her to relax, sleep and just enjoy her time at home, with him.
The second would be for both of them, filled with love, but the intentions of that one would be purely for pleasure. And he knew, after that deep tissue massage, his love would sleep uninterrupted through the rest of the night and well into the next morning.
KTZLF*TRUE*LOVE*WILL*ALWAYS*FIND*ITS*WAY!